Auto racing board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

Game apparatus providing racing cars assembleable from plural elements, a game box containing the elements in a concealed manner, a game board over which the assembled cars move, and play determining elements including randomly distributable monetary units and play directing cards. The game box has sets of part storage bins with opaque covers, each cover being provided with identification indicia. Play of the game proceeds by assembling the car playing elements by purchase with a random distribution of monetary units and thereafter moving the assembled elements about the playing board under certain pre-determined conditions in response to further random play of monetary units.

United States Patent 1 Partridge AUTO RACING BOARD GAME APPARATUS [76]Inventor: Mildred F. Partridge, Rt. Box 62 BB,

Montesano, Wash. 98563 [22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 135,173

[52] US. Cl. 273/134 AG, 46/17, 273/131 C,

273/134 CA, 273/134 CB, 273/135 F 11 3,738,659 511 June 12, 19731,114,346 5/1968 Great Britain 273/134 8 Primary ExaminerDelbert B. LoweAttorney-Keith S. Bergman [57] ABSTRACT Game apparatus providing racingcars assembleable from plural elements, a game box containing theelements in a concealed manner, a game board over which the assembledcars move, and play determining elements including randomlydistributable monetary units and play directing cards. The game box hassets of part storage bins with opaque covers, each cover being providedwith identification indicia. Play of the game proceeds by assembling thecar playing elements by purchase with a random distribution of monetaryunits and thereafter moving the assembled elements about the playingboard under certain pre-determined conditions in response to furtherrandom play of monetary units.

3 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENIEIJJUNI 2 1 SHEU 1 W 2 M/L DEED FP41? 79/065 AUTO RACING BOARD GAME APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION Thisinvention relates generally to a simulated auto racing game foramusement providing playing pieces movable in response to chancedetermined events about a board defined course, and particularly to sucha game providing compound playing pieces assembleable by chance relatedevents before institution of chance related board motion.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART Games of the red mule type have been known andquite popular as amusement devices since time immemorial. These gamesprovide a board defining a course of successive elements about which amarker of one sort or another may be moved in response to some chancedetermined or related event. The instant invention provides animprovement over the existing games of this general class.

My invention differs from known members of the class by providing acompound playing piece in the form of an automobile that is assembledfrom plural unique parts before play commences on the playing board.These parts are acquired by purchase from a random set of similar partsthat contain the desired elements or from other players who have thedesired elements. The purchase is accomplished by use of monetary unitsacquired by the players in the first instance by chance and to somedegree thereafter by agreement.

After the playing piece is appropriately assembled, play proceeds aboutthe board defined course pursuant to chance distribution of the monetaryplaying pieces in a fashion simulating an auto race. Auxiliary incidentsof play are provided by required incidentals of playing piece motion andby chance related events determined by other players and board position.To complete the course it is required that the last motion of theplaying piece must end exactly at the finish notation.

Prior art devices have disclosed games with similar individual elementsbut not with all of the incident elements associated in combination inthe same form as the instant invention for use in the same mode.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION My invention provides a family type auto racinggame with compound cars that are assembled and moved about a racingcourse defined on a playing board by events determined by both chanceand predetermined player action.

I provide a simulated auto playing piece assembleable from plural partsacquired by random purchase from a central supply or specific purchasefrom other players by monetary standards acquired in ordered fashion bychance determination. Race incidents such as fuel, lap flags, mysterycards, and the like are similarly acquired by specific purchase.

After the auto playing piece is appropriately assembled, it is placedupon a unitized sequential playing course for motion thereabout inresponse to play of monetary elements. The course of motion of the autoplaying pieces is further determined by course position and incidentaldeliberate acts of other players.

The object of the game is to assemble the playing piece and move itabout the race course, according to the rules of play, the required lapsto finish the course ahead of other players.

In providing such a game it is:

A principal object of my invention to create a game with markers movableabout a unitized sequential course according to particular rules ofplay.

A further object of my invention to provide a compound car simulatingplaying piece for such a game that is assembleable from plural partspursuant to game rules.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a game thatcombines both chance happenings and individual player determinations forits completion.

A still further object of my invention to provide an auto racing gamethat will simulate an actual racing situation to stimulate the interestof players and provide some incidental educational benefits.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a game that is ofnew and novel design, of simple and durable nature, of economicmanufacture and one that is otherwise well adapted to the uses andpurposes for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the followingspecification and accompanying drawings which form a part thereof. Incarrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to beunderstood that its essential features are susceptible of change indesign and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practicalembodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings as isrequired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form apart of this specification and wherein like numbers of reference referto similar parts throughout:

FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of the face of the playing board of myinvention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the details of a pit-pad of my invention.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the front wheel structure of a racer.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the rear wheel structure of a racer.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the body of a racer.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a motor of a racer.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a principal race driver.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a drivers helmet.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a sub-driver.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a lap-flag.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a gas-tank.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the mystery cards of my invention.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of one of the game pieces (hereinaftercalled jet-drops) of my game.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a plurality of monetary units used withmy invention.

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of the parts storage box for my game.

FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the shaker-box of my invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT My invention generally providesplaying board 20 defining a racing course for motion of compound racerplaying pieces 21, assembleable by purchase of parts with randomlydistributed monetary standards 22 and thereafter movable about theracing course in response to change determination, player action, andplay of motion contingency elements 23.

Playing board provides flat rectilinear supportive element 24 definingin its medial part unitized, sequential, closed racing course 25, in theinstance illustrated in FIG. 1 providing 34 separate units. The numberof course units may be increased or decreased without changing theessence of the game. Located about the playing course, at spaceddistances, are plural pit-pads 26, again in the embodiment illustratedcomprising 6 elements. The number of pit-pads is not essential to myinvention and may be increased or decreased to accommodate a particularnumber of players, one pad being required for each player. Thoughnumbers may vary, the combination illustrated is fairly ideal with arace track having 34 units and 6 pit-pads substantially equally spaced.The detail of the face of a pit-pad is shown in FIG. 2, where it is seento include several defined storage areas, including the for sale area27, and driver and sub-driver motel areas 28, 29, respectively.

Game box 30 is a rectilinear box-like structure formed with an openable,catchable lid giving access to and defining internal component storagecompartments 31 and plural arrayed parts storage bins 32 having opaquecovers 33 to conceal from players the particular part each bin contains.The bins are arrayed in sets of the same number as the number of playersand the cover 33 of each is provided with some indicia of identificationso that players may orally identify the sets and members of each set toother players. The various bins are of appropriate size to contain theseveral parts of the racer playing pieces of my invention.

Monetary standards 22 are a plurality of small rigid disks 34, all ofsimilar size and shape, indicating various numerical amounts preferablyby appropriate surface numbers 35 and distinctive surface colors (notshown). The disks collectively comprise a plurality of one dollar, twodollar, three dollar, four dollar, five dollar, ten dollar, twenty-fivedollar, and fifty dollar amounts, the number of each not being essentialbut preferably inversely proportional to indicated face value. The totalnumber of monetary standards is not critical, but it should range intothree figures to provide an appropriate supply for convenient play. Areplenishable supply of disks 34 is contained within shaker-box 36, fromwhence upon an appropriate shaking type of manual manipulation one mayexit individually through slot 37 in the box. The shaker-box is opaqueso that the production of monetary disks 34 therefrom will be random andnot controllable by a player in an individual instance.

Racer playing pieces 21 comprise the various components illustrated inFIGS. 3 through 9. Racer body 38 forms the principal marker element. Itis configured as the body of a racing auto with forward wheel slots 39and rearward wheel slots 40, each adapted to releasably receive wheelelements 44, 47, forward motor orifice 41 adapted to releasably receivethe motor element 49 and cockpit orifice 42 adapted to releasablyreceive a driver 50 or sub-driver 51. Flag hole 43 is provided in theforward portion of the body to releasably receive various lap-flags.Forward wheel structure 44 provides medial axle 45 with smaller forwardwheels 46 at each end and rearward wheel structure 47 provides similarmedial axle 45 with definitive larger racing type rear tires 48 at theends thereof; each axle is adapted to be releasably received by thecorresponding wheel slot of the body. Motor element 49 has a rectilinearbase adapted to releasably fit and be held in motor orifice 41 of thebody and an upper configuration to simulate the external appearance of aracing motor. Principal driver element 50 and sub-driver element 51 havean external configuration simulating their living counterparts with alower base part adapted to releasably fit within cockpit orifice 42 ofthe body. Plural helmets 52 are provided to fit in normal position andreleasable fashion upon either driver or sub-driver.

Motion contingency elements 23 include gas-tanks 53 as illustrated inFIG. 11, jet-drops 54 as illustrated in FIG. 13, sets of lap-flags 55 asillustrated in FIG. 10, and plural mystery cards 56 as illustrated inFIG. 12. Plural lap-flags 55 constitute a group comprising plural setsof flags, each set having the same number as the number of playingpieces in use; normally the group will comprise five sets to indicate agame five laps in length, each set being designated with somedistinguishing indicia, generally a different colored flag element 57.Standard 58 of the lap-flags is such as to allow the element to bereleasably positioned in flag-hole 43 of auto body 38.

Mystery cards 56 comprise a plurality of both beneficial and detrimentalinstructions that would apply to the various stages of game play whilethe playing pieces are coursing about racing track 25. Normally thebeneficial conditions are distinguished from the detrimental ones bydifference in coloration, or some similar face indicia. The obversefaces of all mystery cards are identical so that the instructioncontained on the face may not be determined from inspection of theexposed obverse side. With six players, mystery cards should number inthe higher two figure range. They contain various instructions,penalties, and relief from penalties such as driver ill, driverrecovered, out of gas, pull off track, tire blowout, pull off track,spare-tire blow-out, repair, and the like.

With this description of apparatus, the play of the game may now beunderstood. Play will be described with the specific embodimentillustrated, one for six players. Firstly, the apparatus is assembled,comprising:

1 playing pad 6 pit-pads (distinguished by color) 1 parts bin 1shaker-box l assortment of chips comprising $1.00, $2.00,

$3.00, $4.00, $5.00, $10.00, $25.00 and $50.00 elements distinguished byface indicia and color.

6 racer bodies, distinguished by color to match pitpads.

6 front wheel assemblies, distinguished by color to match bodies.

6 rear wheel assemblies, distinguished by color to match bodies.

6 drivers, distinguished by color to match racer bodres.

6 sub-drivers, distinguished by color to match racer bodies. 7

6 motors, distinguished by color to match racer bodies.

set of helmets for principal drivers set of helmets for sub-drivers setof mystery cards set of gas-tanks set of jet-drops 1 group of lap-flagscomprising five sets of six elements each, distinguished by color toidentify lap sets.

The object of the game is to acquire a complete racer playing piece andthereafter enter upon the track course and complete five lapsthereabout. The first player to finish is the winner. The game with sixplayers will require approximately two and onehalf hours of playing timedivided essentially into two portions, the first for the assembly ofracer playing pieces and the second for the motion of the assembledpieces about the track.

The racing board is positioned upon some convenient supporting surfaceand the several players positioned about the periphery thereof. Eachplayer is provided with a pit-pad distinguished by a particular color,this color to be used throughout the game by the player to distinguishthe various elements of his particular racer playing piece. One playerwill be designated as the track official and parts man to maintain anddisburse game elements and supervise the course of play.

At the inception of play, the shaker-box is supplied with a randomassortment of chips and the racer bodies, wheel assemblies, motors,drivers, sub-drivers, and driver helmets are contained in randomlyoriented sets of similar elements in storage bins 32 of game box 30. Theplaying piece elements of one particular type are all within one set,but their arrangement in any particular bin within that set is unknownto the players and undeterminable by inspection of the storage bin. Themystery cards are shuffled to a random orientation and placed face downinside tee track course.

With apparatus in this condition, play begins. The track officialmanually manipulates the shaker-box containing the chips to randomlyadmix them and passes it to the player on his left. That player manuallymanipulates the box in a shaking type motion until a chip passes throughthe slot in the box; he keeps the chip and passes the box on to the nextplayer to his left and play continues in this fashion with theshaker-box moving in a clockwise fashion to allow the players torandomly accumulate monetary standards to enter upon the racingbusiness. The required racing playing piece elements for each player,and the purchase price from the track official, are:

1 car body $100.00

2 wheel assemblies (front and rear) $25.00 each 1 motor $40.00

1 principal driver $50.00

1 driver hat $10.00

1 sub-driver $40.00

1 sub-driver hat $10.00

1 tank of gas $50.00

5 lap-flags $10.00 each Mystery cards may be purchased in pile order for$10.00 each and jet-drops for $5.00 each. Neither is a required elementto enter upon the race track, though both may be beneficial to enterplay. Normally some limit must be placed on individual player purchaseof these elements to promote orderly game progress. Preferably no playermay purchase more than three mystery cards or four jet-drops at any onetime of play.

The various racer elements and moving contingency elements are acquiredinitially by purchase from the track official. During any players's turnhe may purchase one item of a playing piece from any group from thetrack official. The particular elements are contained in bins and theplayer may designate which bin he desires, but it is to be rememberedthat he will have no knowledge of the color of the particular partcontained in that bin. If the acquired item be a part of the color ofthe players particular playing piece he may keep it and continue toacquire parts for his car, but if it be a part of some other color thanhis playing piece, it is of no use in assembling that particular playersplaying piece.

The players may similarly purchase, sell and barter playing pieceelements between themselves during any players turn of play. If a playerhas a part that he does not desire to keep, he may place it in the forsale section 27 of his pit-pad to make an offer of disposition. If hewishes to sell the element for the purchase price from the trackofficial, he may merely place it in the area; if he wishes to sell itfor a price higher than that for which it was purchased from the trackofficial, he must place with the element a monetary chip of the sameamount as the excess price. This chip so placed then is removed fromplay so long as the element remains in the for sale area and the chipmay not be otherwise used. When the part is sold or traded, however, theexcess price chip goes back to the owning player and may be treated asany other. The play continues then in this fashion until at least oneplayer has completely assembled all of the necessary items for hisracing playing piece.

If, in theacquisit ion of player piece elements, any player acquires hisprincipal driver or sub-driver before the racer playing piece is readyto enter upon the track, he must house it in the proper motel 28 or 29on his pitpad. This housing requires a deposit of $20.00 in monetarychips in each occupied motel area for the drivers expense until hestarts of the track course. At such time as the car does enter the trackcourse, the driver will occupy the racer and the sub-driver may beplaced in the pit area to free the deposit money for the motels.

When the racing car is assembled and ready to enter the track course,the particular player must symbolically put gas in the car by returninga gas can to the track official. With satisfaction of this precedentcondition he places his playing piece in starting position on the track,all during one turn of play.

With the entry of one car upon the track, the rules of play changesomewhat. The play proceeds in the same clockwise direction,withmonetary chips disbursed in the same fashion. Movement upon thetrack is made in response to the play of monetary chips by paying themto the track official during the players turn. Only the low value chips$1.00 to $5.00 are used for playing piece motion on the track course.

After entry upon the track and during a players term of play, he mayplay a mystery card to either add a pen alty to opposing playing piecesor a benefit to his own. No playing piece, however, may have more thantwo penalty cards against it at any one time to allow orderlydevelopment of the game.

During track motion each racer playing piece must carry an appropriatelap-flag. If any racer is found to have an improper flag at any time,the particular offending player must move backwards three track courseunits and the player discovering the error may move forward three trackunits.

During track motion, if a player has his racing car in hisown pit area,opponents may not play penalty cards against him so long as it remainsin the pit area. The

players may buy, sell or trade mystery cards among themselves accordingto the same rules as for buying, selling or trading car'parts. All spentmystery cards are returned to the racing official who places them inrandom order in the unused stack. To complete the race course, a playermust play a monetary chip of appropriate value to take him only to thefinish unit; he cannot go past it and he cannot win unless he comes tothe finish unit. An appropriate lap-flag must be on a vehicle on thetrack at all times; when the lap is completed the flag is returned tothe track official.

During the course of play there may come to be disputes between theplayers, particularly regarding the nature and effect of mystery cards.The track official must settle all such disputes and his decision isfinal in so doing.

During the course of play with one or more cars on the track course, aplayers turn starts when he receives the shaker-box and ends when he hastaken the chip from it. In the intervening period he may move his racer,buy or sell racing elements, incidents of play or mystery cards asdesired. During this period, however, it is to be remembered that onlylow valued chips ($1.00 to $5.00) may be used for moving and any changemaking of chips must be accomplished between individual players who mayrefuse to do so if they choose.

During play, if one player stops on any position occupied by anotherplayer, the second player must use a jet-drop. To do so he gives thejet-drop to the track official and moves his car ahead four additionalspaces. A jet-drop, to be used, must come from a reserve supply; one maynot be purchased during the course of the move in which it is used.

From the foregoing description of the play of my game it can be seenthat it is dependent both upon the individual judgment of a player andchance happenings, neithervof which will per se determine the game. Thisplay makes the game simple enough for the youngest players, yet onechallenging enough for adults so that it is of a rather universallyacceptable nature.

The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailednature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth asrequired, but it is to be understood that various modifications ofdetail and rearrangement and multiplication of parts may be resorted towithout departing from its spirit, essence, or scopev Having thuslydescribed my invention, what I desire toprotect by Letters Patent, and

What I claim is:

1. An auto racing game for entertainment and education comprising, incombination:

a playing board having defined thereon a racing course divided intoplural similar course units;

plural pit-pads, associated with spaced units of the playing course,each having thereon a different identification indicium, and providingareas on the playing board for parts assemblage, storage anddisposition;

a shaker-box for containment of a plurality of disklike monetarystandards having means for disbursal of individual disks therefrom inrandom fashion;

a plurality of disk-like monetary standards, all of similar physicalconfiguration, grouped in plural sets of similar value, each set havinga different identifying indicium;

compound racer simulating playing pieces comprised of releasablyassembleable parts, each group of parts for a single playing piece beinguniquely identifiable by one of said pit-pad identifying indicia andeach playing piece being formed from parts similar. to those of each ofthe other playing pieces; and

a game box providing containment for playing piece parts and havingplural bins arranged in sets of the same number of bins as the number ofplaying pieces, each set formed in a fashion to contain and concealracer playing piece parts of the same type.

2. The invention of claim 1 further characterized by:

a plurality of cards all with similar obverse sides to preventindividual identification and various game directing instructions on thefaces thereof, the cards to be acquired and used to direct game play inresponse to some predetermined condition of game play.

3. The game of claim 1 wherein the releasably assemb'leable parts ofeach compound racer simulating playing piece comprise:

a body configured as a racing car having forward slots releasablycontaining forward wheel-axle combinations, rearward slots releasablycontaining rearward wheel-axle combinations, an upper medial chamberreleasably containing a simulated motor, a forward orifice releasablycontaining a lapflag and a cockpit releasably containing a simulateddriver having a releasably positionable helmet.

1. An auto racing game for entertainment and education comprising, incombination: a playing board having defined thereon a racing coursedivided into plural similar course units; plural pit-pads, associatedwith spaced units of the playing course, each having thereon a differentidentification indicium, and providing areas oN the playing board forparts assemblage, storage and disposition; a shaker-box for containmentof a plurality of disk-like monetary standards having means fordisbursal of individual disks therefrom in random fashion; a pluralityof disk-like monetary standards, all of similar physical configuration,grouped in plural sets of similar value, each set having a differentidentifying indicium; compound racer simulating playing pieces comprisedof releasably assembleable parts, each group of parts for a singleplaying piece being uniquely identifiable by one of said pit-padidentifying indicia and each playing piece being formed from partssimilar to those of each of the other playing pieces; and a game boxproviding containment for playing piece parts and having plural binsarranged in sets of the same number of bins as the number of playingpieces, each set formed in a fashion to contain and conceal racerplaying piece parts of the same type.
 2. The invention of claim 1further characterized by: a plurality of cards all with similar obversesides to prevent individual identification and various game directinginstructions on the faces thereof, the cards to be acquired and used todirect game play in response to some predetermined condition of gameplay.
 3. The game of claim 1 wherein the releasably assembleable partsof each compound racer simulating playing piece comprise: a bodyconfigured as a racing car having forward slots releasably containingforward wheel-axle combinations, rearward slots releasably containingrearward wheel-axle combinations, an upper medial chamber releasablycontaining a simulated motor, a forward orifice releasably containing alap-flag and a cockpit releasably containing a simulated driver having areleasably positionable helmet.